Valve operating means



March l1, 1952 J. NEUROTH VALVE: OPERATING MEANS Filed July 20, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR. JOHN NEUROTH ATTORNEYS.

March 11, 1952 J. NEUROTH VALVE: OPERATING MEANS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 20, 1945 .vdi

INVENTOR JOHN NEUROT H ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 11, 1952 VALVE QPERATING IVIEANS John Neuroth, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to The Prosperity Company, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application July zo, 1945, serial No. @6,052

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to valves, and particularly to means for operating a valve by fluid pressure, as air pressure, and holding the valves in their operated position, when the pressure tending to operate them is discontinued.

The invention further has for its object an operating and holding means which includes at least one disk which is flexible and resilient, free at its edge, so as to rst engage at the corner of its edge with an opposing concave wall or seat in the pressure chamber in which it is located and then iexes into position to conform to th concave wall.

The invention further has for its object operating holding means including two disks, one or both of which are resilient and flexible, each located in its own pressure chamber, one functioning to initially operate or open the valve, and the other to hold the valve open, the latter being essentially flexible, resilient and also cooperating with an opposing concave wall or seat of the pressure chamber to flex to conform thereto, and in so doing, hold the valve opening disk in its operated position, until the pressure in the pressure chamber for the holding disk is discontinued or released.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a valve structure embodying this invention, the contiguous portion of the machine with which the valve is associated and the operating manuals therefor being also shown.

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary views of a modified form of the valve operating means shown in Figure 1, the disks being shown in their starting position in Figure 2 and in their operated position in Figure 3.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a second modified form in which the pressure perated disk for operating the valve is shown, as an inexible one, instead of a ilexible one.

Figures 5, 6 and '7 are, respectively, fragmentary operation views showing the operation of the flexible disk at the start of its sealing movement and intermediate of its sealing movement and with full pressure applied.

This invention resides generally in pressure operated means for devices, as valves and the like, which operating means includes a iiexible disk free at its margin and operable under pressure of a motive fluid, as air, to engage at its outer free margin with a concave wall of the chamber in which the disk is located, and then iiex so that the margin flexes to conform to the concave wall to hold the pressure, the movement of the disk operating the valve and/or holding the valve in its operated position, until the holding pressure is released. Two flexible disks may be used, one for operating or opening the valve, and the other for holding it in operated position, or one only of these disks, as the holding disk, may be exible and resilient, or one flexible resilient disk may perform both the function of operating or opening the valve and of holding it in operated position.

The invention is here shown as applied to the master valve for controlling the iiow of motive fluid to the cylinder and single-acting piston. servomotor of a machine having a closing and opening movement during each reciprocation of the piston, as for instance, a garment and laundry pressing machine in which the flow of air to eilect the closing is controlled by a two hand control mechanism.

I designates the casing of the valve and 2 the movable intake valve member, as a sliding head coacting with its seat 3 and pressed against its seat by a returning spring 4. This spring and main line pressure also performs the function of returning the valve operating disk or parts to their initial position when holding pressure or force is released. 5 is an exhaust valve head for coacting with a seat E in the casing, this being operated in synchronization with the head 2, so that the two heads 2 and 5 constitute a combined intake and exhaust valve. Usually, these heads are connected by a stem but as here shown, a floating spacer 'I is interposed between the heads 2 and 5 and guided in a chamber S having a transfer port 9 and an exhaust port it. The valve heads 2 and 5 are normally arranged to close the iiow of air through the intake and open the exhaust port Ill. The transfer port 9 is connected by a pipe I I to a port in the head of the cylinder I2 of the servomotor. The casing I is connected by an intake pipe I3 to a source of supply of pressure fluid, as air. The casing I is here shown as provided with an extension I4 formed with a pressure chamber I5 having a concave wall I6 on one side thereof and with an inlet port II, which is connected to the source of air supply, usually through a two hand control.

In the form shown in Figure 1, the means for operating the valve head 5 to closed position comprises a flexible resilient disk I8 in the pressure chamber I5 so located that the blast of air coming in through the port I1 rst thrusts the disk I8 to carry the corner of its free edge I9 (Figure 5) against the concave wall IB, then slightlycompresses it, as shown in Figure 6, and flexes the disk so that its margin conforms to the curve of the concave Wall at 20, as sho-wn in Figure 7. This flexing of the disk I8 operates the valve heads 2 and 5 to open and closed position, respectively, through a spacer 2I slidable in ,a passage 22 in the casing I4, in which passage the exhaust head 5 is also guided. The movement of the exhaust valve head 5 is transferred throughv the spacer-1 to the intake valve head 2 against the action of the returning spring Y4 yand main line air pressure, which re-sets the valve head when the pressure in the chamber I5 is released or `when the disk I8 is free of any means for holding-,it inits operatedposition.

In-theillustrated embodiment of the invention, the means for `holding the valve heads in their operated positions alsoholds the disk I8 in its flexed position, when the pressure in the chamber I5 is released. This holding means is here shown as a second disk 23 located in apressure chamber 24 having a concave wail 25 opposed to the second Vdisk 23. This chamber has an intake port26 to which a-pipe 21 is connected. WhenA the air is free to now through the pipe 21, the disk 23jisflexed-,into-'position similar to that shown in Figure 7. In Figure 1, the disks I and 23 are shown-as Iconnected together at their centers by a. stem orrori-28 slidably fitting in a `passage 29 in the casing. As the disks are connected together, the disk 23 is moved into the dotted line position (Figure l), when air pressure enters the chamber I to Vflex the disk I8, so that the pressure of the air entering the chamber 24 through the port Y2li is effective on one side, as the right hand side only of the disk 23. The ow of air through pipe 2,1 to the port 26 is controlled by the operation of the Vmachine with which the valve is associated, that is, when the machine is closed or has closed a predetermined amount, such closing ofthe machine controlling means for vestablishing communication between the pipe -21 and the source of air. As here shown, the pipe 21 is connected to a port 30 in the side of the cylinder AI2 and located-to be uncovered by the piston; when the piston has traveled a predetermined distance on its power stroke.

`To effect the closing of the intake valve head 2 and the opening of the exhaust valve head 5, a normally closed release valve 3I is in communication with the pressure chamber 24 through pipes 32l 33a anda release port 33. Also, the port 33 maybe connected in multiple, as by a pipe 34, with a timer operated release valve or with a remote control release valve designated generally 35. A group of machines is sometimes operated by-one operator and the opening of one machine iscontrolledby the closing of` another machine, or Wvice-versa, in order to save operating time.v

In `the form shown in Figures 2 and 3, the disks |80 and 230 uare shown as floating or as entirely free, or not connected at their centers, as by the Y, inthe casing. In this construction, the disk 230 is biased to cause it and the spacer 36 to follow up thedisk 180, in order that only one side of the disk 230 be exposed to the pressure through the port 260 in the chamber '240. In the construction shown, the biasing of the disk 230 is eifected by gravity. When the-disk V| is operated from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3 by air entering through the pipe 490, the spacer 36 follows by gravity and the disk 230 follows the spacer, bringing the corner at its edge in engagement with Vthe concave wall of the pressure chamber 240. The biasing may be done in any other manner, as by a light spring.V

In Figure 4, the operating disk 38 is shown as inflexible, usually-metallic, and slidably fits at 39 and4 @cylindrical walls in the pressure chamber 4I, with sufcient tightness to initially prevent, or with not enough clearance to permit, the passage of air around the edge of the disk when the port I1 is open for the intake of air through pipe 490. The disk is, however, held in its operated position by a flexible diskv 23 I the motion of which is transferred to the disk 38.through a stem 42 on which the metal disk 38 is mounted. The inflexible disk 38 at its peripheryits Within its chamber at '39y and v40 with such little clearance that air can not pass around it, or the diskacts as a pistonwithout piston rings.

The flow of air to the port I1 is controlled'by two hand control valves of the combined intake and exhaust type. .43 'and 44 designate these valves, each including a .combined intake and exhaust `valve member y45 operated by a manual or push button 46 or 41. These valves are connectedjnrseries with -theintake pipes 48 and 48a and the second valve .43 .in-the series `is connected byza pipe-49 .to the intake 'port I1. eration of both :valves inthe same operation, air will flow. to the intake port :I1 to actuate the disks I8'or |80 (Figures"l,2 and 3) or the disk38 (Figure 4)., closing the'exhaust valve head 5 and opening the intakevalve head2, against `the action'Y of-:the returningspring 4 Vand air line pressure. Air ithen flows from the intake pipe I3 past the valve head 2 and chamber 8 through the yport 9 and pipe II `tothecylinder I2 to actuate the piston therein. When the piston` has traveled a predetermined distance on its power stroke, it uncovers the port 30 and air passes from the cylinder through the pipe 21 to the port 26 of the chamber 24 in rwhich the holding disk 23 is mounted, pressing said disk 23 to the left into sealing position against the concave Wall 25 of its pressure chamber, thus locking the valve heads 2 and 5 in their operated position. The disk l23 has just rpreviously been shifted against concave-wall 25 by the-action of the closing disk I8 Aand the stem` 28. The-.manuals 46,741 must be held depressed until the piston passes the port 30. Y After the piston does pass the port 30 and the fholding disk 23 is operated, the manuals may be released.l Upon opening ofthe release valve 3|-,A air will exhaust from the pressure chamber 24, through port 33,pipesY 33a and 32, for the holding disk V23, permitting the. spring v4 to react and returnthe valve-heads 2 and 5 and the disks I8, 230, |80 .(or 38) and thedisk 23 to starting position.r

Operating and holding means for valves in thi situation have heretofore been diaphragrns held at their margins. Leakage developed and also the diaphragms became faulty, cracked or perforated, due to the fact that they were clamped or held at their margins. By forming the disks free at least at their margins, cracking of the disks due to flexing is avoided and also a perfect seal Upon the op-V is easily obtained between the margin of the disk and the concave wall of the pressure chamber in which it is located. Also, disks free at their margins are more economical to manufacture and install and are long-lived. As the disks are free to seat on the concave wall, no stretching results when pressure is applied.

What I claim is:

In a valve, a casing having an inlet, an outlet for a motive fluid and an exhaust passage, a movable valve member in the casing having heads initially in position to close the casing to the inlet of motive fluid and to open the casing to the exhaust of motive iluid, the casing being formed with a pressure chamber having an intake port for a fluid under pressure, a normally closed, self-closing manually operable valve controlling the ilow of motive fluid through said port into the pressure chamber, means for operating the valve member comprising a disk in the pressure chamber, the chamber having a wall constituting a seat on which the disk seats when the port is open, the disk having its circumferential edge free and movable by the motive fluid pressure coming through said port towards its seat, means for transferring the movement of the disk to said valve member to operate it to open the intake head and close the exhaust head, the casing being formed with a second pressure chamber having an intake port and a concave wall constituting a seat for the second disk and an intake port, a second disk in the second pressure chamber, the second disk being flexible and resilient free at its edge and movable into position where 6 it presses its edge toward the concave wall of the second chamber and ilexes to conform to the concave wall under pressure through the second port a motion transmitting means between the rst and second disks to initially transfer the movement of the rst disk toward the concave Wall of the rst chamber and shift the second disk toward the concave wall of the second chamber, the valve member in the casing being acted upon by spring means tending to close the intake head and open the exhaust head thereof and hence return the disks to their initial starting position, the second chamber having a valve controlled release port to release the pressure in the second chamber and permit the valve member to be actuated by its spring means when the first intake port is closed, and means for transferring the flexing movement of the second disk to the first disk.

JOHN NEUROTH,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,454,547 Lane May 8, 1923 2,071,749 Knight Feb. 23, 1937 2,255,322 Langdon Sept. 9, 1941 2,291,243 Levy July 28, 1942 2,341,696 Davis Feb. 15, 1944 2,346,829 Davis Apr. 18, 1944 

